Shadow Trail
by the.silver.wind.wolf
Summary: A young boy finds himself all alone. When there's no one left you can depend on, what will you do? Where will you go?
1. Prologue

**Hi there! I'm a new writer and this is my very first story on FanFiction. English isn't my native language (I'm Dutch), but I'll do my best to avoid any grammar or vocabulary mistakes. However, if you see one that I didn't see, please let me know so I can change it. Much appreciated! I won't drag this on any longer, so thank you for clicking on this story and please enjoy!**

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Prologue: The two brothers

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It was cold, like most evenings are in wintertime. However, on this particular night it seemed colder than usual, as if there was an extra chill hanging in the air, causing shivers to run down one's spine. The sky was filled with dark, ominous clouds that had not yet dropped their rain, but looked as though they could any minute now and the wind was howling.

It was at that evening that two new lives were brought to the world, their cries filling up the cold air. But that wasn't the only sound that echoed through the night; loud, hysterical laughter could be heard. The sound was coming from a tall, hooded man with tattoos under his eyes, who was standing it a large bedroom in front of the two freshly made parents. The husband stood protectively before his bedridden wife and newborns, raising his Magic Power to such an extreme extend that a red glow was emitting from his body and that the ground began to shake. Still, the hooded man didn't seem the least bit frightened by the display of power and merely began to laugh even louder. Suddenly the hooded figure stopped laughing, an evil smirk took it's place. He simply gestured with his hand and out of the blue, another figure emerged from the wall on the other side of the bed. The new figure grabbed a dagger from under his cloak and before the husband could react, he had pressed it against the wife's throat.

The tattooed man chuckled. "Well, well. It seems that the tables have turned, my friend. I wouldn't move if I were you, because that could turn out to be not so healthy for your wife, if you know what I mean…" He slit his index finger against his throat.

"You bastard!" The husband gritted his teeth, but understood that he had no other so he dropped his Magic Power and the ground stopped shaking.

"What do you want from me?"

"Want? Oh, nothing really, just a little revenge is all."

"Revenge? For what?"

"Oh you know, for destroying everything by disbanding my guild."

"Your guild… So that means you're…" He looked at the hooded man, surprised.

The man chuckled again. "You've realized it yet? Since you've destroyed everything I loved, I will repay the deed by destroying everything you love, beginning with your wife and sons."

He made another hand gesture to his accomplice, but the husband quickly shouted: "NO! You can have everything, everything else, but let them live!"

"I suppose I could just kill you and be done with it, but tell me, we're would be the fun in that?"

At that moment the man's accomplice prepared himself to stab the dagger into the woman, but before he could do so the husband had hurled himself in front of his wife, causing the dagger to sink into his back. With a pained expression on his face he looked at his wife, tears welling up in his eyes.

"My love, I'm sorry, but I don't think that I'll be able to help you raise our children, nor will I be able to see their first steps nor will I hear their first words, I'm sorry…"

There were tears in her eyes now too. "No, Grad! Don't talk like that! Of course you'll do all those things, we'll do them together!"

"Yeah, yeah," could be heard from the other side of the room. "Very touching and all, but I'm tired of this. Karacka, kill them already!"

The silver dagger was stabbed down once more, creating an even larger wound in the man's back. The man began chanting a spell as the dagger came down again, still shielding his wife and children with his body. The spell must have been some kind of barrier, because the next time the dagger was stabbed down, it stopped in midair, unable to go any further.

"Now, my love, look at me. The spell I've cast on you will protect you from any harm, but you must get away as soon as possible, because this barrier won't last forever since I have been weakened a lot, I think that dagger sucks away Magic Energy. Please, go to-"

"No, I won't leave you! Besides, right now I'm to weak from giving birth to travel."

"But what about our sons?"

"Can't you get them to safety?"

"I suppose I can since they are still very small, but that will cost me all of my remaining Magic Energy and the barrier will fall."

"I don't care, as long as we can save them."

"So be it, then." He started chanting another spell, since the transportation of living beings was complicated Magic. When he was done, a Magic Circle appeared and the twins lit up.

"We're sorry we can't be there when you grow up. We've only known you for a very short time, but we love you more than life itself, don't ever doubt that."

Both mother and father hugged their children tightly in a last, loving embrace. They wrapped a little blanket around each of them, their names embroidered on it. The little babies were fading now, almost disappearing to an unknown location. Their parents whispered their last words of goodbye to them, before they were gone.

"Farewell. Rhys and Zas Tyron, we love you…"

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Somewhere dozens of kilometers away, a simple smith was taking his daily stroll along the borders of Sunflower Village. He shivered, for the evening was cold and unpleasant.

"I guess, I'll make this quick so I can head on home," he said to himself, while rubbing his hands together in a attempt to warm them. It was then that he heard a rather strange sound coming from the bushes left of him. Was it a baby crying? No, it couldn't be. Curious, he went to take a look.

"Well, would you look at that," he said at the site of the two baby twins lying side by side in the bushes.

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 **So that was already the end of this chapter! I know that this one was a bit short, but that's because it's the prologue and I promise that the later ones will be longer. Please leave a review in which you let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks! Anyway, I hope you'll continue to read this story and I'll try to update soon.**

 **~ t.s.w.w**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello you guys! Here is the second chapter of _Shadow Trail_. I updated sooner than expected, which is good, I think. My special thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited (I don't know if that's even a word) this story. Really you guys rock!**

 **Oh yeah, before I** **forget it once again, like in the previous chapter:**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way possible, it belongs to it's rightful owner, Hiro Mashima. I do own my OC's, though ;)**

 **Anyway, let's begin with the story, shall we?**

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Chapter 1: Their peaceful, everyday lives

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"Rhys! Rhys! Wake up, dad's calling!"

He woke up from the voice of his brother, like every morning. Unlike his brother, he was a rather deep sleeper, so his brother had to wake him up or else he would sleep until the evening.

Grunt.

He pulled the blanket over his head in an attempt to shut out the voice. No success.

His brother grabbed the blanket and threw it away.

"You know that's not gonna work, Rhys!"

Another grunt.

Great now he had no choice but to get out of bed, or else he would get really cold. The five-year old sat up, rubbing in his eyes in order to dive off the sleep. Rhys Werdus looked at his seven-minute older brother, smiling because once he was awake, he was happy to start a new day.

"Good morning, Zas!"

"Good morning to you too, little brother! Now let's go to eat breakfast," the slightly older boy said, also smiling. Together the two brothers raced out of their room and ran down the stairs. In just a couple of seconds they stood in the family's small, yet cozy kitchen.

"Good morning, mom, dad!" They both shouted in unison, causing their parents to look up from their previous affairs to smile at the twins and greet them back. Rhys looked at his dad, who had already put on his smiths uniform, consisting of a big, leather apron and a matching, black bandana. Turan Werdus was a tall, muscular man in his mid thirties with a roaring, light-hearted laugh that could often be heard booming through the whole house and smithy. The man had short, dark brown hair and gray eyes, sparkling with humour. A rough-looking, short beard in the same shade covered the lower part of his face. Turan was known throughout the whole village to be a kind, just man who would always put the needs of others before his own. For Rhys, his father was a paragon of strength and he respected him like no other.

Next to Turan stood Hadia Werdus, Rhys's mom. Hadia was only two years younger than her husband, but looked as though she was still in her mid twenties. She certainly wasn't small, but not as tall as her husband. She had long, black hair that was always tied in a ponytail on her back. Her chocolate brown eyes displayed kindness and gentleness. Even though she was a bit strict sometimes, Rhys knew how much she loved both him and his brothers and he, too, loved her unconditionally in return.

Rhys had always wondered why he and his brother didn't look at all like their parents. Zas and Rhys both had red hair, although Rhys's hair was just a shade or two darker than his brother's. Both had one, single black lock on the left side of their hair and amber colored eyes. Zas liked to let his hair grow, so that it now reached his back. Rhys preferred to keep his hair shorter, so his hair only came slightly past his ears. Despite these little differences, the two brothers looked exactly alike, which wasn't that strange since they were twins after all. Still though, the red hair and amber eyes, were did that come from? Weren't children supposed to look like their parents?

One time, Rhys couldn't keep his curiosity to himself anymore, so he had asked his mother and father why both he and Zas didn't look like them. At that question his mother had averted her eyes from his gaze, something she would normally never do, and had said that appearance doesn't matter and that if you love each other you are a family, even if you don't look alike. Rhys had only been three years old at that time and hadn't understood what she had meant by that, but before he could ask any more questions Hadia had quickly changed the subject and he had forgotten his previous confusion. Even now, two years later, he still didn't understand but he had never brought the subject up again, because he had noticed how much his questions had hurt his mother.

"Rhys, are you still sleeping?" His father's voice interrupted his thoughts, bringing Rhys back to the present.

"Huh, what, did you say something, dad?"

"Damn right I did! I just asked you and your brother if you'd like to come with me to the smithy, and who knows, maybe I could teach you a thing or two."

Sparkles appeared in the younger twin's eyes. "Really, dad?! You'd let us?!" Rhys had always been fascinated by his father's work. How he could make the most wonderful things out of just a pile of iron, Rhys had always questioned. It was his dream to one day be as skilful as his father and run his own smithy, then he would make the most beautiful things, worthy of kings and queens. But so far, both mother and father had forbidden him and Zas from setting even a foot in the smithy, in fear that they might hurt themselves. But now dad said that they could finally start learning how to do all those things. Oh boy! Rhys was almost jumping from excitement.

"Yeah, son, I've discussed it with your mother and we both think you're old enough now."

Rhys looked at his brother, whose eyes, too, were filled with joy. "Awesome isn't it, Zas?"

"Yeah, you betcha!" Zas answered. He hold up his arm and the two brothers high-fived.

"Now, just remember to be careful out there. I don't want anything to happen to you two," their mother stated, trying to sound strict, but it wasn't very convincing since she couldn't hide the smile that was forming on her mouth by the site the two extremely excited boys.

"Yes, mom, we will!" They answered her in unison.

* * *

Unlike their expectations, the smithy wasn't dark and messy at all. It was a rather large building located on the outskirts of town. The smithy consisted of two sections: one was the shop were customers could order thing or could buy things that were already made and displayed in the store. The other section was, of course, the smithy itself where all of the items were forged and crafted. The smithy was tidy and clean. All of the currently unfinished products were stored in a massive, wooden cupboard standing in the corner of the room. One wall was filled completely with a giant fireplace and in the middle of the room stood a big anvil. All of the tools needed for forging hung on the wall, side by side. There were two, large windows which sunlight was beaming through brightly.

"Whoa! This place is neat!" Rhys said to his brother, while he was looking at the site of the smithy, impressed by what he saw.

"This thing is so cool!"

"I wonder what this is for?"

"Dad, can you do with this?"

"How does this work?"

"Whoa, can I make stuff like this too?"

The two brothers were now shouting questions at random while they ran from one site of the room to another, picking up every little thing that they laid their eyes on.

"Now, now, boy. Calm down a little will ya? I don't want you two wracking this place before I can even start teaching you!" Their father said, smiling, for he found the site of his two sons getting all exited a very amusing one. Still, he had to grab the two by their shirts before they would calm down.

"Right, dad. Sorry 'bout that," Zas said, apologizing.

"Yeah, we just let all the excitement get to our heads, I guess," Rhys added, scratching the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.

"It's fine, it's fine," Turan answered, waving their apologies away with his hand. "Now, let's get started!" He grabbed to things that were standing behind him and handed them to the boys.

"Eh, dad, why did you hand us brooms, I thought you were gonna teach us how to forge and craft items?" Rhys asked his father, looking at the broom he was handed with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, dad, how come?" Zas added.

At this a roaring laughter filled the workplace. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The red-haired twins looked at each other, still with confused expressions on their faces. Then both shrugged, while their father still continued laughing uncontrollably.

When Turan was done laughing, he had to wipe away a tear. "You really thought that you could start forging right away? Of course not! Now start wiping the floor with those brooms, before I start to reconsider teaching you!"

Two grunts could be heard from the two boys before they shrugged one again and started doing as they were told.

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From that day on, the two brothers came to the smithy almost every day. And every day, their father would give them new chores to do, from keeping the fire going in the fireplace, to cleaning every piece of equipment their father possessed until the point that you could use it as a mirror. Still though, despite the usual grunts they made whenever a new task was given to them, the two young boys never complained about anything and just did as they were told.

For over three weeks the three of them repeated the same routine day after day: in the morning the two brothers would wake up early (well, Zas would and he would wake his brother up afterwards) and eat breakfast with their mother and father. When they were finished, the three of them would say goodbye to their mother, who gave them lunch boxes she had made in return after she had told them to be careful. Turan would give his wife a kiss on the cheek and afterwards the three of them would head for the smithy together. Once they were there their father would get to work after he had told the both of them what their chore was for today. The brothers would grunt, more because it had become some kind of habit, than because they really wanted to. When it was lunchtime both father and sons would go sit outside of the smithy and eat they lunches while enjoying the cold breeze against their skin and the sunlight on their faces. Once they were done eating, all three of them would go inside the smithy again and continue their own jobs. During the time inside the smithy, neither the two boys, nor their father would speak much, because they were all too focused on what they were doing to uphold a conversation. Because of this, the only sound in the smithy were the sound of Turan's hammer upon steel and the sound of wind being blown into the fire, therefore the twins came to recognize these sounds and got to know them better than their own voices. When the boys finished one chore, their father always had another waiting for them so they would never have time to do nothing. Like this, the hours would fly by while the three of them were working in the smithy.

At one point, their father would call it quits for the day when he thought that they had done enough. Every day, this point was around five o'clock and together, both father and sons would go home. Once they were there, their mother would always welcome them warmly and they would get a glass of freshly made, ice cold lemonade, which always refreshed them instantly. When the red-haired twins had recovered their energy from the long day, they would go outside to play with the other towns children, while their parents would make dinner. Because the two boys were always fun, cheerful and kind towards everyone, the townspeople had taken a liking towards them and they had lots of friends to play with. Together with their friends, they would come up with a different game every time, and there was never a boring day.

Occasionally, one of their friends would come over to eat dinner with them and their parents. Those evenings were always most enjoyable, since they would tell each other jokes and laugh all the time. After they had finished dinner, the two brothers and their friend would play a little longer before each of them would return home. Most of the time afterwards, the young boys would spend in their room, relaxing and doing whatever they liked. Zas would spend this time making woodcarvings. Rhys had always admired his brother for his crafting skills, since his brother could make almost everything out of an ordinary piece of wood. Rhys, however, would read some kind of book, most of the time, since he enjoyed reading ever since the time that he had learned to how to do so from his mother. He liked to read stories the most. Fairy tales were his favourite out all of them. Rhys didn't know why, but he just loved to read about dragons, fairies, heroes and princesses. He always pictured himself as the hero in one of his stories and in every story he came up with, he would heroically defeat one bad guy after another and save the princess in the end.

When it was around nine o'clock, their mother would come upstairs, saying that it was time to go to sleep. Both boys then quickly changed into their pyjamas and ran down the stairs towards the living room where their father sat in a chair, reading a book. They would wish him goodnight and he would give them a hug and ruffle through their hair in response, before wishing the both of them goodnight as well. Smiling, they would return to their room were their mom would put them in bed and give them both a kiss before wishing them goodnight.

After that the two would go to sleep almost immediately, because even if they were just chores, they were pretty tiring for the five-year olds.

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Things continued like this for more than three weeks, but one day, something rather unexpected happened. The day started like any other for the past three weeks; they ate breakfast together and went to the smithy afterwards. But when they arrived, their father didn't give them anything to do, nor did he start working. He just stood there in front of the twins, looking at them.

"Uhm, dad? What are you doing? … Did we do something wrong?" Zas asked a bit confused, after a short silence.

The tall man began to smile at his two sons in response. "No, there's nothing wrong! In fact, I have to congratulate the both of you!"

Now the two boys really didn't understand what was going on. "Huh, congratulate us? What for?"

"Heh, you dummies! Did you really think I let you two do chores all the time for nothing?"

"Eh…you didn't?"

"Of course not! It was to see if you two had the determination needed for this profession. I mean, if you had complained all the time, I would've never even considered teaching you. But I have to say that the both of you passed with flying colours, and therefore congratulations!" Turan said, while patting both boys on their head, ruffling through their hair.

Zas and Rhys looked up at their father with eyes sparkling from joy and surprise. "You mean that was all a test?!" They shouted in unison.

"Yeah, that's right," their father answered, grinning.

"Oh man, we did all those chores for nothing then!" Rhys said, looking at his brother.

"Now, now. I think you've got the wrong idea there, buddy. Those chores were certainly not for nothing, can't you see that you've both become much stronger the past weeks?" This caused the red-haired twins to look at their bodies. Indeed, their young, boyish bodies had developed some muscles; only they hadn't noticed it because they were developing little by little. "When you're gonna learn the real work, this new strength will be something you're gonna have to count on all the time, so be glad you've developed some!"

"So this means, you're gonna teach us for real now, right?" asked Zas, formulating the unspoken question that went trough the twins' minds.

"Yeah, damn right!"

"Whoa! AWESOME!" Once again the two brothers gave each other a high five to celebrate this new development. Then, as though they shared one mind, they both tackled their father in a hug, causing the three of them to trip over. Turan started laughing again, and Zas and Rhys joined in. For a little while they just lay there, the brothers on top of their father who was on the ground, in the middle of the smithy, laughing uncontrollably. Then Turan picked up his two sons with the greatest ease and stood up from the ground, before letting them stand on their feet again.

"Seeing that from this day on, you're both smiths-in-training, I have something for the both of you." He walked to the wooden cupboard and took something from a box that stood on one of the shelves. He held the items behind his back, so that the curious eyes of his sons couldn't see what they were. When he stood before them once again, and after a dramatic 'tada' he let them see the items. They were two miniature versions from Turan's own smithy uniform, complete with bandana and all.

"Here, I figured that since you're gonna be the real thing from now on, you two might as well look like 'em."

"Thanks, dad, you're the best!" Rhys and Zas said, smiling brightly. After that, the boys immediately grabbed the apron and bandana, eager to put them on. But before Rhys put the bandana on, he swore a pledge upon it that he would work hard and do his best to make both his parents proud of him. After he was done with that, he put the bandana on, proud of the fact that his father trusted something so important to him, for the bandana wasn't just some kind of cloth, no it was proof that he was going to be a smith someday, just like his father.

* * *

Years passed, while the two boys learned everything there was to know about forging, crafting and being a smith in general. Their workdays became longer, so they had less time to relax and play with their friends, but it didn't matter, for they both loved the smithy and everything that came with it. They worked every day, except from Saturdays and Sundays because their mother insisted that they would have some free time also. On those days, they hung out with their friends, playing whatever game they could come up with.

Whenever Rhys had some free time on his hands, and there weren't any children around to play with, he would read about any book he could get his hands on. As the years flew by, he changed from fairy tales to reading mostly about the Magic of this world. The subject, in one word, fascinated him and it wasn't long before he had read every book there was to find in Sunflower Village about the matter. His curiosity only grew with every book he had read and so he would wait impatiently until some travelling merchants would arrive in the village. Once there were some, he would spent all the money he saved form working in the smithy – his father paid him and his brother half of what normal assistant would get – and buy every book they had about Magic. It was because of such actions that his book collection only grew, and grew to the point that he needed a new cupboard to store all of them.

Zas, on the other hand, was never one to study like that. Instead, he spent his time honing his wood carving skills, until the point that he could make every animal or plant he crafted so realistic that it would seem as though they were living beings, which turned to wood.

Years continued to pass by as the two twin brothers lived their peaceful, everyday life without a care in the world. And just like that, it was the morning of their tenth birthday.

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 **Sooo….. that's the end of the second chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, and if you did, please show it to me by following/favorite/reviewing this story, thanks! Also if you didn't understand something in the story or if you spotted any grammar mistakes, please report it to me by reviewing also. For now, until the next chapter (hopefully).**

 **~ t.s.w.w**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello readers, I'm back with another chapter of** ** _Shadow Trail_! Well, I have to say that I am quite disappointed with the lack of reviews that I'm getting, to be honest. So I hope this chapter will do better!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, just my OCs**

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Chapter 2: A sea of flames

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That day, Rhys woke up before Zas did. This was a phenomenon that only occurred when it was their birthday. On those days, Rhys would wake up from a strange, exited feeling that burned throughout his whole body, making it impossible to go to sleep again. At times like that, he would just lie down in his bed, waiting for the time that the others would wake up. This year, it was no different. Rhys lay in his bed, tossing and turning. He glanced at the clock hanging above the door. _It's still only seven o'clock_ , he thought, sighing. _I'll have to wait at least another two hours before mom and dad are coming to wake us up_. Another sigh.

The Werdus family had some kind of tradition concerning the twins' birthdays. In the morning, around nine o'clock, their father and mother would come to wake them up, hugging and congratulating them extensively in the process. Both boys were already awake beforehand, but they always pretended to be asleep for their parents' sake, for they liked to wake them on their special day. After that, the four of them would go downstairs to eat a special 'birthday breakfast' that their mother had prepared for them.

 _I sure hope Zas'll like the present I've made for him!_ Rhys looked at his twin brother lying in his bed on the other side of the room, still sleeping peacefully. _I just don't understand how he can sleep like that, I mean doesn't the excitement get to his at all?!_ Rhys sighed, knowing that his brother would sleep for at least another hour. Normally Rhys would as well, but just not on these kinds of days. Then, he remembered something. _Oh yeah! I've still got that book I've bought two days ago, I can read that!_ He looked at his bedside table and grabbed the book that he had put there. Rhys sat up in his bed and brushed cover. It was made of dark red leather and it's title was written in gracious, silver letters. _Dragon Slayer Magic, eh? I've never heard of that type of Magic before, I wonder what it's about…_

The book had cost him quite a bit, and Rhys was totally broke now. Still though, Rhys hadn't minded because somehow, in a way that he couldn't explain, the book had fascinated him. Who knows? Maybe it was because of his liking towards fairy tales and the dragons in them. Rhys opened the book, looked at the first page and began to read.

' **Dragon Slayer Magic is a type of Lost Magic which allows its users to transform their physical bodies into a Dragon.'** _Transform their bodies into those of a Dragon?!_ Rhys couldn't help but to picture a giant man with wings and claws who breathed fire. He shuddered. _I mean Dragons are awesome and all, but a mix between a man and a Dragon… I don't think that'll look so good._ Nevertheless, he continued to read, for even that one little sentence had peeked his interest. **'As a result, the user can transform their body with features of their respective element, utilizing both offensive and defensive styles. A Dragon Slayer is immune to the effects of their own element, and can consume external sources of their element to replenish their strength.'** _Wow! So a Dragon Slayer can eat fire for instance, how cool!_ **'However, a Dragon Slayer cannot consume the element that they produce themselves, and elements must be consumed through the mouth. It is known that certain Dragon Slayers have been able to consume elements other than their own, allowing them to combine both elements into one inside their bodies and use them to increase their abilities. Dragon Slayer Magic are the only way to kill, or even hurt Dragons, who are shown to be mostly unaffected by other forms of Magic.'** _Why would anyone want to kill a Dragon?_ Rhys asked himself with childish innocence. _They're so cool, so why?_ He began reading again, extremely curious about the subject.

' **There are only two ways one can learn Dragon Slayer Magic. The first way is one must be taught by an actual Dragon.'** _Wait a second… Taught by an ACTUAL DRAGON?! So they really do exist!_ Rhys couldn't stop reading now. **'The ones who learned their Dragon Slayer Magic through this method are referred to as First Generation Dragon Slayers. The second way is one must have Dragon Lacrima implanted into their body. The ones who learned their Dragon Slayer Magic through this method are referred to as Second Generation Dragon Slayers. There is also another way which is a combination of the above two methods: ones who both learned their Dragon Slayer Magic by receiving the teachings of a Dragon and also having Lacrima implanted into their body. The ones who learned how perform Dragon Slayer Magic by utilizing both methods are referred to as Third Generation Dragon Slayers.'**

At that very moment Rhys heard a voice beside him. "Hey brother, whatcha reading there?" Because he had been too absorbed in his new book, Rhys hadn't noticed that Zas had woken up and had silently walked towards him. Rhys quickly closed the book. "Nothing!"

Zas grinned and took the book from his brother's hand. "Sure, you were. Now let me see." He quickly scanned through the pages. "Oh, it's about Magic again… Well, then I'm not interested," he said and handed the book back to Rhys. That was the one thing the twins didn't agree on: Magic. While Rhys was highly interested in Magic and wanted to know all about it, so that one day, he might become a mage himself, Zas had the idea that Magic was just a waste of his time. He believed that all you needed were a pair of strong, skilled hands and you could do anything you want, so if they was the case, were did he need Magic for?

"Anyway, congratulations with your tenth birthday, Rhys!" Zas smiled brightly at his slightly younger sibling, who returned the smile almost immediately. "Thanks! You too, Zas!" The two boys gave each other a bro fist and embraced each other, a habit that they had gotten. Suddenly they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Quickly, the two jumped back in their beds, pulled the blankets over their heads and pretended to be asleep.

"Happy birthday, my dear sleepyheads!" Their father's voice roared through the room. Immediately, they were picked up from their beds and tackled in a bear hug by their dad. "Your ten already, eh?! Time sure flies, doesn't it, dear?" He asked, addressing his wife. Hadia chuckled lightly. "Yes, it sure does." She looked at her sons, who were still trapped in their father's bone-crushing hug. "Happy birthday, Zas, Rhys," she said in the loving tone she always had when talking to her family. "Dear, why don't you let them go so I also can give them a hug?" At that, Turan finally released the boys, so that their mother could congratulate them properly. Unlike their father's hug, Hadia hugged them gently, but not less loving.

"We love you, you know that right?" The twins smiled widely at their mother. "Of course we know that!" Zas said. "Yeah, and we both love you too!" Rhys added. At this their mother had to smile too. "And I'm happy for that," he replied. After a couple of seconds, Hadia released the boys.

"Now then let's eat breakfast, shall we? I've made you your favourite birthday cake for dessert." At this the red-haired twins started cheering and ran down the stairs, leaving their parents smiling in the room.

* * *

After the four of them had breakfast, it was time for presents. "Now, let's see what we've got for you!" Their father said, while leaving the kitchen to get the presents. He came back with two identical, oblong packages. Turan gave one to Zas and one to Rhys. "Now, my sons, seeing that today is your tenth birthday, your mother and I decided that we'd give you something special. Don't get me wrong, these are no toys, but we figured that you're ready for it, with the proper training that is, of course."

The two boys looked at the packages, wondering what could be inside them. Their parents saw their hesitation and encouraged them: "Go on, you can open them now," their mother said. The twins needn't to be said twice. Carefully, they began to unpack their present and much to their surprise, they found two swords in it. These swords were, however, not just any swords. The swords were identical to one another and skillfully forged.

"What do you think? Pretty neat, eh? I've forged them both from a very special kind of metal; as a result, these swords will never rust and never break. They are my masterpieces," Turan explained. And masterpieces they were. They may have looked a little simple to the untrained eye, since they had no diamonds and other valuable gems on them – apart from one, ordinary looking, red gem imbedded in the cross-guard of each of the swords. However, every blacksmith who knows a good sword could see that these swords were flawless in every way. The special metal was also very light, making the swords easy to swing around, even for ten year olds. But it was also perfectly balanced, so that the swords would feel like an extension of one's hand. When the brothers took both the swords out of their black scabbards, which their mother had made for them, they could see that the blades of the two swords were razor sharp. Imbedded in the middle of both the blades, was a thin line of the same kind of red gem that was also imbedded in the cross-guards, giving the swords a mysterious vibe. Normally, imbedding gems in the blade of a sword only weakened it, however, with these swords the opposite seemed the case, since the imbedded line seemed somehow fitting and not weakening at all. The grip of the two swords were made of the same kind of metal as the rest, but were wrapped in black leather so that one could easily grip it, without hurting oneself. The pommels were simple points made out of back metal.

"These swords are twin swords, just like you are twins. It's fitting, isn't it? That one is called Exador," their father said, pointing towards the sword Zas was holding. "And that one is Alorin," he said; now pointing towards Rhys's sword.

"Dad, what's this kind of gem that you've imbedded all around the blade?" Rhys asked, curiously for he had never seen a sword with gems in the blade.

"I thought you of all people would know, because you see, it is not just any gem, it is magical, mages call it 'Lacrima'," Turan said, smiling towards his son. _Lacrima… I'm sure I've read about it somewhere before… Oh yeah, now I remember! It was in that book about Dragon Slayer Magic, Lacrima is a Magic crystalline substance that can be powered up with different spells and used for different purposes, for instance to artificially create Dragon Slayer Magic._

"But why did you put it in the blade, dad?"

"Well, I know that you want to become a mage, when you're old enough and if you do, this will become pretty handy, I can assure you that!" He now tuned his attention towards the older twin. "As for you, I also know that you have no intention of ever being a mage, but since I wanted to give you both twin swords, I imbedded it in yours, too."

Rhys and Zas still had sparkles in their eyes, for they thought that these were the best presents they have ever gotten. "Thank you so much, mom, dad!" they said in unison, tackling both their father and mother in a hug.

After that, it was time for the presents that the boys had for each other. "Here, Zas, I've made it myself and I hope you like it!" Rhys proclaimed, while handing his brother a package. The latter immediately opened it, revealing a small knife. On the blade was Zas's name engraved in small letters. "It's for making wood carvings! I've noticed that the knife you've got is getting pretty dull, so I've forged you a new one!" Zas gave Rhys a hug, for he was very happy with his present.

"Thanks, Rhys! Well, speaking of wood carvings, this is for you," Zas said, handing Rhys a present of his own. Inside it, there was a leather cord with hanging on it small dragon figure, made out of wood. The details were breathtaking, and the dragon looked almost alive. Rhys could easily see that his brother must have worked hard on this piece, for it was his best by far.

"Zas, it's awesome! That you so much!" Rhys immediately put the necklace on, not planning to take it of any time soon.

At that moment, they heard a knock on the door. Zas went to open the door and came back with four friends. "Look who are here!" Together with the guests, the family then went to eat the birthday cake.

* * *

The rest of the day, the two boys spent playing with their friends. They both came home when the sun was already setting and the boys started getting hungry. They were not disappointed, because their mother had cooked a delicious meal and they could eat all they wanted. Dinner was filled with lightly chatting, but Rhys noticed that there was something bothering their parents, because they didn't seem to have their minds set on the conversation, since they asked Rhys and Zas many times to repeat themselves because they hadn't heard it. This bothered Rhys too, and he looked at Zas to see if his brother had noticed it too. A slight nod confirmed it.

After dinner the red-haired twins were asked to accompany their parents to the living room, because they had 'to talk'. A bit anxious, the two followed them. Their dad gestured them to sit on the couch, which they did. Both their mother and father sat in chairs in front of them. The expressions on their faces were a mix between sadness, seriousness and even a bit of fear. For a moment, the four of them just sat there, eyeing each other. Then Turan cleared his throat, but it wasn't him who spoke first. Instead, Hadia did: "Before we begin, you two must know that your father and I both love the two of you, that will never change, no matter what you may think." Now the two were really scared for what might come. Hadia took a deep breath before she continued.

"By now the two of you must have noticed that you don't look like your father and I. And you two must have asked yourself why… Well, since you two are ten now, we thought that it is time for you know the truth." Hadia looked at her husband, who took this as his clue to start talking.

"We aren't your biological parents. Ten years ago, I found you two in the bushes in the outskirts of town. Hadia and I took you in and raised you as our own children."

Silence. There was a silence of utter incredulity, which was what was filling the room for the first couple of seconds. Rhys and Zas first looked at their parents, expecting them to burst out in laughter and tell them that it was all a big joke they made up. When they saw the serious expressions on their parents' faces, the two boys were forced to face the undeniable truth. They were not their parents' children. They were not what they had always thought they were. It had all been a lie, one big lie. Rhys didn't have to look at his twin to know how he felt, for he knew that it was the same as him. Then the anger came.

"How could you?!" Rhys roared, his voice filled with anger and betrayal. "For all these years, you lied to me, you lied to Zas! HOW COULD YOU?!" Turan came over to the boy and hugged him tightly, stroking his hair. "HOW COULD YOU?!" Rhys kept on screaming, punching his father in his stomach over and over again, tears flowing freely from his eyes. Turan didn't give in, though, and kept on hugging the boy tightly. "How could you?" It was but a whisper now. Suddenly, with newfound strength, Rhys broke out of his father's embrace and ran out of the room, without a word.

"Rhys!" Zas yelled after his brother, ready to follow him. Turan grabbed Zas's shoulder, shaking his head. "Let him be, he'll need time to progress this." Zas only nodded.

* * *

Rhys ran. He ran as he had never run before. He ran, stumbling, because he ran way too fast. Still, he kept on running, the tears filling his eyes, making it almost impossible to see where he was going. After what looked like years of running, Rhys suddenly stopped. He looked around him. He wasn't in the village anymore, instead, he found himself close to Sunflower Lake. In the distance, Rhys could still see the village, still eying as peaceful as ever. For Rhys, however, the sight suddenly didn't feel like home anymore, so he quickly turned around and began to head towards the lake, walking this time.

He sat down on a giant boulder and looked into the lake, absorbed into thoughts. The anger was gone, and sadness had taken it's place. Rhys felt abandoned, even the presence of Zas couldn't heal that. Sure, he still loved Turan and Hadia, his parents for al these years, but it felt different now. It felt fake, as though it was all one big dream. Absorbed in his inner struggles, Rhys sat there, on the boulder, staring into the lake.

It was because of this, that he didn't notice it until much later.

 _Those lights reflected in the water are really beautiful_ , he thought, while staring at the orange-colored images, which looked like they were dancing, because they continuously flickered. _It kinda reminds me of the reflection of fire…_ , he thought, happy that there was something that could distract him from his thoughts. _Wait a second… Fire?!_ He looked up from the reflections, afraid of what he might see.

The sight was horrifying. The village, which was so peaceful just moments before, was now one, giant sea of flames. Even though Rhys was pretty far from the sight, he could still feel the warmth, burning his skin.

He stood there for a couple of seconds, horror-struck and unable to move even a muscle. Then, something inside of him snapped, and once again, he ran. He ran even harder, even faster, this time. _Please let them be okay! Please let them be okay!_ That was all that went trough his mind, while he ran towards the village.

* * *

When he finally arrived, an even greater shock was awaiting him: everywhere he looked, men in black capes were slaughtering the villagers. One by one, they, his friends, neighbours and acquaintances all fell down, unable to defend themselves, for they were all just simple farmers, while the men in the capes were mages and used Magic to beat them.

One, single word went trough Rhys's mind as he watched this gruesome sight unfold before him.

 _Why?_

* * *

 **So how was it? Please let me know, because every review makes me happy! Look out for the next chapter, 'cause I'll try and update soon.**

 **Till then!**

 **~t.s.w.w**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey there, everyone! So this one took me way longer to write than I originally thought, so I hope you all like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, I just own my ideas and OCs for this story**

 **Note: I have made a drawing of how I envision Rhys to look, and I have saved it as my profile photo. So if you're interested, take a look and tell me what you thought about it by reviewing. I don't consider myself a good drawer, so all the tips are welcome!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Alone

* * *

He watched. He watched, as if an invisible force pinned him down to the ground, stopping him from moving even a muscle. He watched as everyone he had ever known was brutally being slaughtered.

 _Why?_ The word kept echoing through his mind. _This isn't what Magic is supposed to be for! Isn't it for protecting people, not for hurting them?_ He was shocked, because he thought that Magic was only used for good, not for evil, like this. _What have we done that we done to deserve this? Why is this happening? IT IS NOT FAIR!_ For a second, his heart was filled with anger, than panic and fear took it's place. _Zas! Mom! Dad! Where are you?! Please be okay!_

With this last, inner scream his muscles finally started to respond. Despite having ran all day, Rhys couldn't feel any fatigue. Again, he ran. It pained him to do so, but Rhys left the other villagers, he didn't help them because he knew that he, a ten-year-old, a child, couldn't do anything against the mages in black cloaks. Rhys ran through the alleys of the village, for he knew that the invaders wouldn't likely look there. Rhys gripped the wooden dragon pendant he got from Zas tightly in his right hand, praying that it would give him the courage to face the sight that he was going to see once he would reach his home. Tears started forming in his eyes, and began flowing down his cheeks. He roughly sweeper them away, but they kept falling. _Damn it, Rhys! Get it together! You have to be tough now, so stop crying!_ he mentally scolded himself. It was no use, for no matter how hard he tried, the tears kept falling.

* * *

Rhys ran around the corner at the end of the alley. There, at the end of the street, it was, his house, his home. Or at least there had it been, now it was only a pile of burned wood and ashes. Rhys saw his father standing in front how his mother and brother, protecting them. There were two cloaked men, standing in front of Turan, laughing evilly. Suddenly, one of them raised his arm and spread his fingers, pointing towards Rhys's father. A circle appeared in the sky, a Magic Circle, Rhys knew. He also knew what it meant.

"DAD! GET AWAY!" he roared, making his presence known. But Rhys didn't care if the cloaked men had noticed him; he only hoped that it wasn't too late. A huge beam of light came into being, heading towards Turan, who, despite Rhys's warning, didn't move a muscle. Turan and Rhys locked gazes. Turan smiled kindly at him, and Rhys knew that his mind was made up. Then, for a moment, Rhys was blinded by the light, and averted his eyes. When it had subsided, he saw his father. Turan's clothes had been ripped to shreds, baring his chest. But that wasn't all; his father's body was covered in deep, bleeding wounds. Turan had bared his teeth, gritting them, Rhys could see that he was only standing due to sheer willpower.

"DAD!" Rhys screamed again, beginning to run towards him. He saw that his mother and Zas were doing the same. The cloaked men merely laughed. Rhys could hear them taunting his father. "So, we have a tough one here, eh? No matter, we can do this over and over again. Let's see how tough you are after one more, shall we? Now, Light Magic: Blinding Beam!" The Magic Circle appeared again, and a second beam of light was fired. This time, Rhys didn't look away. Instead he kept on running towards his father, screaming for him to get away, but the Magic was quicker and the second beam hit Turan.

"You're not so strong now, eh, big shot?" The cloaked mage taunted yet again. Rhys saw his father lying on the ground. If the first beam had been painful, then the second had been devastating. Completely covered in his own blood, and unable to even raise his head to look at his attackers, Turan was lying on the street, utterly defeated. But that wasn't enough for the men. They walked over to the wounded man and one of them put his foot on Turan's head. The man looked down at the blacksmith. "Look at the brave warrior, he can't even get up." As if to make a joke, he stretched out his hand, ready for Turan to take. "Need some help to get up, weakling?" the man said sarcastically. With the last ounces of his strength, Turan raised his head and spit on the man's face. "I don't need any help from you," he replied, smirking.

The man was infuriated. "HOW DARE YOU?!" he roared, while wiping his face clean. He began kicking Turan over and over again; the smirk on Turan's face didn't fade, however. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ME?!" Another kick. "Oh just you wait, I'll wipe that smirk off your face! Hey, Rackel, give me a hand here, will you?" the man asked, addressing his fellow cloaked man.

"Nah, man, this one's all yours," the other mage replied simply, as though it was nothing. "Fine, then I'll do it myself." The man wanted to plant another kick on the defenseless man, but he hadn't counted for Zas. Rhys's brother had finally reached his father and punched the mage in his face, causing him to fall back. "I'll only say this once, leave my family and village alone, or I'll make ya!" The cloaked mage had already regained his composure and prepared to attack the brave boy, even more furious than before. At the exact moment that the mage wanted to punch Zas, Rhys arrived at the scene.

Except for the occasional quarrels he had had with his friends, Rhys had never been in a real fight before. Still, when he attacked the cloaked man, it was as though he had fought all his life. Rhys didn't think, he just moved. Automatically, Rhys knew what to do. He ducked and with one kick of his leg, he brought the man down. The mage had been completely focused on the older twin and therefore hadn't noticed Rhys until it had been too late. Zas flashed a grin to his brother, when he saw who had come to his aide. "Nice one, Rhys." But the two didn't have much time to talk, for the man had already stood up and was now ready to attack once more, but before he could do so, Hadia had come between them, spreading her arms, as if to protect the two boys with her body.

"No you don't. As long as I live, I will never let you touch them. They are my children!" Rhys could feel the love for his mother burning up inside of him. He wanted to tell her that even if both she and Turan weren't his biological parents, he still loved them unconditionally. But before he could do so, the mage cloaked in black released the a third beam of light, throwing her away. "MOM!" Both boys screamed in unison. "Oh come on, she was such a bother, nothing to be sad about," the man said, shrugging. "Don't you dare talk that way about our mother!" Rhys said, furiously. "Yeah, yeah. Now, can we please get on with our fight already?" The man didn't wait for an answer and instead immediately began to attack the two boys, who didn't have a choice but to fight back.

In the following minutes it were a test of close combat for both parties. At one side, you had the experienced, grown mage and on the other, you had the two brothers, who were faster than the mage and strong for their age because of their daily work at the smithy. Still, however strong the two boys may be, they eventually had to give in to the brute force of their opponent. Slowly but surely, they were driven backwards and losing terrain. The mage cloaked in black noticed this and grinned. The tides turned completely when the man drew something. The twins saw a flash of steel and a split second later, Rhys could feel a burning pain in his chest. Numb from the pain, he looked down and his eyes widened in horror. Across his whole chest was now a deep flesh wound, blood was pouring out of it. Slowly Rhys turned his gaze first to Zas, who had a similar expression of horror on his face. Then he shifted his attention towards the man. The mage grinned evilly and Rhys could tell that the man was enjoying himself immensely, and then Rhys's eye fell upon the man's hand, or rather, on what the man was holding in his hand. It was a sword. It was a long, thin sword, and it was covered in blood. His blood. When he had realized this, Rhys could feel the last bits of strength he possessed leaving his body.

"RHYS!" he could hear he brother scream when his knees gave in and he collapsed. The ground was hard and cold, but Rhys was glad, for if he could feel then that meant that he was fine. _I'm fine Zas, don't worry about me_ , he said, or at least that was what he wanted to do, but much to his panic, he found that he could not produce any sounds at all. He tried to turn his head, to move a foot; anything to make known that he was still alive. His body wouldn't respond to his commands. Then it hit him. _The sword must have some kind of paralyze spell cast on it. That means I won't be able to move at all until it wears off… Damn it! Please be careful, Zas. This guy is a tough opponent!_

"Rhys, say something, brother" he could hear his twin whisper to him, while he was shaking Rhys's shoulder. There was a couple of seconds of silence. Rhys wanted to assure his brother, but the paralysis had made it impossible. "Damn it! Talk to me, Rhys," Zas said, his voice breaking. "Please, brother, just say something, anything. Just don't die, don't leave me," Zas pleaded, shaking his brother's shoulder more violently now. _Zas, I'm alive! I'm all right, brother!_ Rhys screamed inwardly, but of course, Zas couldn't hear him. "Oh, don't bother, kid, your brother is long gone by now," the cloaked man said, taunting the young boy. Suddenly Rhys felt his brother stop shaking his shoulder.

"You… You monster… YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" Even though Rhys couldn't see the scene because face was pointing at the ground, he could hear that his brother was crying. _Zas, don't cry! I'm alive!_ "You killed him… So now, I am going to kill YOU!" Zas continued, his voice overflowing with sadness, despair, but above all, his voice was overflowing with rage. A rage so intense that Rhys could almost feel it.

"Well, well. Another though guy, eh? Man, this family is overflowing with them. Well, let's see how long you will last, shall we?" Rhys could hear his brother scream in rage, then there was a complete silence in which the only sounds were those of fists against skin and the sword slashing through the air. Rhys felt relieved, since Zas had so far managed to dodge the blade. However, he had been to early to feel that way, for at that exact moment, an ear-piercing scream filled the air and Rhys knew that Zas had been hit.

At first, he felt nothing, than a overwhelming feeling of utter sadness. Lastly, he felt rage building up inside of him, filling him completely, consuming him.

"So that is the second hero, who I have brought to his knees. Now I wonder: how will I punish this one for foolishly believing that he could take me on?" There were, yet again, a few seconds of silence, then the mage continued: "Oh I know! What if I make that pretty face of you a bit prettier? You'd like that, won't you?" The man began to laugh uncontrollably, maniacal. _He's out of his mind! I have to save Zas! Come on, body, MOVE!_ But again, his body didn't respond to his commands, and Rhys could hear another scream coming from his brother, followed by complete silence.

A second wave of anger coursed through him. Emotion was even stronger than before and all Rhys could think about was getting up and protecting his brother from all that the man was doing to him, which wasn't very pleasant judging by the sound it. _Get up! Get up! Get up! GET UP!_ His desire to get up, in combination with his utter rage was so overwhelming, that Rhys could feel an unknown strength awakening inside of him. At first, it was small; flickering like a little, small flame, but soon it was like a raging fire, burning his way through his whole body.

Rhys focused all of this newfound power into one, single desire: to get his body to respond. _GET UP!_ He built it up, controlling it, which was rather easy because somehow it felt familiar, the same with the fighting: he hadn't known how to do it, but his body did, all he had to do was respond to it.

First, it was a finger. Then it was a hand, an arm, a leg, another one, and soon Rhys could move his whole body again, freed from the paralysis. Slowly but surely, he stood up, the power still building inside of him, almost blinding him in it's strength. The power inside him also took away the pain he felt, the wound, however, remained.

He saw Zas lying on the ground in a pool of blood, cuts everywhere on his body. The mage cloaked in black was standing above him, his sword in his hand, again, laughing maniacally. Rhys's rage was only growing by seeing this sight and his rage was building his power. The power had grown so immensely, that it was now visible: Rhys was emitting a red glow all around his body. The sheer force of this power was so great that the stoned lying on the road were starting to vibrate. The man, however, was not touched in the slightest way by this display. Instead, he looked at Rhys with interest on his face.

"Mmmm, so this one can use Magic." _Magic?! So this power is actually Magic?!_ "Mmmm, yes very interesting indeed." He turned to address his fellow cloaked man. "Hey, Rackel, what do you think: should we take him to the boss or kill him?" "Maybe you can test him first, to see if he is any good," the other man replied, looking uninterested. "Yeah, good thinking. See, that's why you're the brains of our duo." "Whatever, get on with it already." The man shifted his attention back to Rhys. "With pleasure!"

Again, they engaged in a battle of close combat. But the man's blows were much, much faster and stronger this time, Rhys concluded, after he had received a couple of hits. _Damn, he was just toying with us before!_ They fought on for a couple of minutes, Rhys dodging the man's blade and then trying to counterattack with his fists, which mostly ended in him getting punched instead. However, he soon had to back down, coughing up blood. Rhys felt his vision blacken, and he almost fainted. Only due to his sheer willpower, he managed to remain conscious. _The Magic may take away the pain, but it certainly doesn't heal the wound. I have to win, and I have to do it fast, but how? He's much too strong for me. Maybe if I could figure out what my Magic can do…_

"Man, you don't put up a fight at all! You're just as much a disappointment as those two were," the man taunted, gesturing towards Zas and Turan. Again, a wave of anger hit Rhys. "They're not disappointments, and neither am I!" Rhys charged again, determined to prove his point. He made a critical mistake, however: instead of dodging the sword first, he went straight for the man, planning to punch him in the face with all he had. When Rhys noticed his vital mistake, it was already too late. The sword was coming right at him from the left, unable for him to dodge. Desperate, Rhys builder up his Magic Power once more, and prepared himself for the upcoming pain. It didn't come. Rhys turned his head towards the direction from which the sword had come. The sight was astonishing: the sword had stopped in midair, deflected by what looked like a little red, transparent wall of Magic. _Is this my Magic?_

"I've never seen Magic like this before. Very interesting. Rackel, let's take him with us, okay?" The man said from behind the wall. "Yeah, alright," the other man replied, still sounding bored. "Refrain Magic: Chains of Air." A Magic Circle appeared around the man's hand and out of nowhere, Rhys was unable to move even one muscle. No matter how much he tried, he could not break free, even with his Magic Power. Unable to stand any longer, Rhys fell to the ground. Rhys could feel his Magic slip away, and with it, the wall disappeared into thin air.

From his position, Rhys could see Zas. His brother didn't look good, but Rhys could see that he was still breathing. A wave of relief coursed through him, when he confirmed this. _Still though, if he doesn't get medical treatment soon, he might die, same for mom and dad!_ Rhys swallowed his pride and began to beg the cloaked men: "Please, take my family with you!" "Why would we do that?" the man he had fought with answered. "Because if you don't, they might DIE!" "So?"

Rhys was astonished. _These people…, they don't value life at all!_ "Please, I'll do anything, just give them treatment!" A sharp pain shot through his head, the man had kicked him. "Now, now, don't forget your place, kid. You're our prisoner and we don't negotiate with our prisoners, got that?! So just shut up, or you can get hurt!" "But then they'll–" another kick, much harder this time. Rhys felt his vision blacken, again. "I warned you," was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness.

* * *

When he finally regained consciousness, Rhys found himself in a dark and humid place. It took a while before his eyes got used to the sudden darkness, but when they did, Rhys looked around him. He tried to stand up to get a better look, but a sharp, pounding headache prevented him to, and he immediately lay down again. His hand went up to his neck. _Thank goodness, it's still there,_ Rhys thought while grabbing the necklace Zas had made for him. That reminded him of what had happened. _Zas… Mom… Dad… Are you still alive? Will I ever see you again? Will I ever get out of here?_ And with these thoughts also came the sadness, so great that it was almost unbearable. Rhys knew that the good days were over, but where would the unknown future lead him? Rhys felt alone. He had never felt so alone in his entire life, because Zas had always been by his side. Even when they fought, Rhys always knew that Zas was there for him. Not anymore. Zas was gone, and so was everybody else he had known. Rhys felt drips fall on his pants and he found himself crying. He cried long and hard, until all the tears had been shed and he was unable to cry any more. The crying hadn't worked: he was still all alone in the humid, dark place

* * *

 **So… that was the end already. I hope you all liked it, if you did, please leave a review and/or follow/favorite this story, Thanks! Well then, until the next chapter, I guess.**

 **~ t.s.w.w**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! (Well, everyone that is still reading this after my LONG break...) I'm sorry for not uploding so long, but I'm back now! I hope all of you haven't given up on me and that you'll enjoy my chapter!**

 **DISCLAIMER (I always forget these...) :** **I do not own Fairy Tail, its story or its characters in any way. I just own my OC's and plot :).**

 **Now, without further ado: here's the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Burning Determination

* * *

He must have fallen asleep at some point, because Rhys woke up from a sharp throbbing in his head. For a second he looked around him in disbelief, since he had expected to wake up in his old familiar room. Then all the memories from the previous day began to resurface, and, unable to bear the pain, Rhys almost couldn't stop himself from crying again. _No! Dammit, Rhys, get it together already! Crying like a baby won't solve anything at this point, so man up!_

Having regained control of his emotions, Rhys tried to guess how many time had passed since he was placed here. Since the place didn't have any windows, he was unable to tell whether it was day or night outside and therefore he was unable to tell how long he had been inside. _There must be some way out of here_ , Rhys thought, and started inspecting the place for any possible escape ways.

He looked around him and quickly determined that he must be in some kind of dungeon. While three of the walls surrounding him were made out of solid rock, the forth consisted of a network of heavy metal bars. Walking towards it, Rhys could see that behind the bars was some kind of hallway illuminated by torches. At the end of the hallway, he could see a staircase leading upwards. _That's my way out. Now I just need to figure out how to get there._ Yet no matter how long he thought about it, Rhys couldn't come up with a solution. _It seems I'm stuck here until somebody comes to get me... I certainly hope it's sooner than later: I can't take being in here any longer!_

At that very moment, as though to grant his wish, he heard footsteps descend from the stairs. Rhys could feel his emotions coursing through him in a mix of anger and fear: they were the ones who murdered his family! The footsteps came closer and closer, and although Rhys tried to fight it, fear for the ones that were coming to get him started to take over. He let go of the bars and tried to get as far away as possible. It was no use: the footsteps kept getting closer. Rhys buried his head in his arms, not daring to look. When he heard that the footsteps had stopped, he slowly began to look up. His eyes gazed upon the man standing before his cell. The man was muscular and tall, with shoulder-length orange hair and a stubbly beard on his chin. He had a stern expression on his face, yet it wasn't cruel like the other men's had been. But what Rhys found most unsettling about the stranger was that he felt as though he could trust the guy. _No! He's one of the bastards who killed them, he's just as bad as the rest of them!_ In a moment of courage Rhys glared at the man, even if it was only to prove his point. The man, however, either didn't notice or just didn't care, because his expression didn't show even a hint of anger. "Boy," the man spoke, waking Rhys from his thoughts. "I have come here to take you to see someone, and you will follow me if you know what's good for you." He stepped aside and another man appeared and brought out a key. He brought it closer to the keyhole and in one turn, the door to Rhys's cell was open. The orange-haired man looked at Rhys questioning as if to see if he would obey or not. However, this time Rhys could see a hint of pity in the man's expression. This angered Rhys even more. _Don't look at me like that!_ he mentally screamed. _Why would you pity me if you and your buddies were the ones who brought this upon me in the first place!_ Even so, Rhys knew that he had no other option but to obey, so he did, gritting his teeth.

* * *

Together the three of them walked in silence through countless hallways that Rhys nor knew where they came from nor where they were going. After what seemed like an eternity, they suddenly stopped, which almost caused Rhys to bump into the man before him. He looked to his right and saw two large dark-wooden doors. With what seemed almost no effort at all, the orange-haired man pushed them open, revealing a rather large hall. On the opposite of the hall, a man sat on what seemed to be something like a throne. "Clivert," the man said, addressing the orange-haired man. "It seems you have successfully retrieved the boy." "Yes, Master Redos," the man apparently named Clivert replied, nodding towards Rhys. "This is him." "Good, now bring him over here will you?" Without a word, Clivert grabbed Rhys by his arm and dragged him towards the throne.

As soon as he laid eyes on the man, Rhys shivered. The man had long black hair which was tied together and a deep scar across his forehead. He was very muscular and had an intimidating aura around him. But the look in the man's eyes was what alarmed Rhys the most for it was by far the cruelest yet. _He is the one_ , Rhys thought. _He is the one who ordered the attack on my village! He is the one who killed mom, dad and Zas! He is the one that took everything away from me! He is the cause of all my pain!_ The man called master Redos seemed to sense his hatred, for he began laughing. "Good, boy. Very good in fact," Redos said smiling a humorless laugh. "Yes, hate me! For hatred brings forth power. And power is the one thing you are going to need."

Master Redos winked at a man standing in the shadows behind him. "Bring the box, Jador." The man handed to him, bowing first. Rage overtook Rhys once more, for the man was none other than the one who personally killed his father and brother. The man seemed to recognize Rhys too, because his mouth formed a mocking smirk. Knowing that he couldn't do anything about it at the moment, Rhys turned his attention back to the Master, trying not to show how much Jador had affected him.

Redos opened the box and showed it's contents to Rhys. It was a small gem, about the size of his fist. The gem was beautiful. It was mostly black, but it had hints of red infused in it. It was polished until there were no rough parts left, causing it to reflect all the light in the room. Rhys was in one word enchanted, he wanted to reach out to it to see if it was as smooth as it looked. But before he could do so, Redos closed the box abruptly, taking the gem out of sight.

"I see you liked it," the man said. Redos turned to Jador again. "You said he stopped a sword with magic, didn't you?" "Yes," the man confirmed. "On top of that he broke free of the paralyze spell I pun on my sword. Redos whistled between his teeth, seemingly impressed. "Have you ever used magic before that, boy?" he asked Rhys. The said one refused to answer, and glared at the master instead. One second Rhys was still standing on his two feet, the next he was on the ground with a terrible pain in his legs.

"If the Master asks you a question, you'd better answer, you little brat!" Apparently Jador had kicked him, causing him to fall over. Unable to stand for himself, Rhys was roughly raised up by the said man and made to face Redos. The man had an evil smirk on his lips. "Now, boy, what is your answer? I'm still waiting." "No, that was the first time," Rhys muttered. "What did you say boy, I don't believe I was able to hear that. "No, that was the first time," he repeated, somewhat louder this time. "I see. Very well then. I will be frank with you boy: in four months time we, the dark guilds, are having a little tournament so to speak. From each guild, including this one, a champion is to represent his guild and fight the other champions in a magic duel. There are, however, two categories: one under sixteen and one above. As you may have noticed: we do not have any members that young. And that, boy, is where you come in." Master Redos chuckled. "But, I like to think of myself as a reasonable man, so the choice is up to you: will you fight in the tournament or do you prefer to die right here and now, seeing that I will have no more use for you?"

Cold fear took hold of Rhys's heart. He couldn't fight, he knew that. But on the other hand: he would die right here and now if he didn't accept. He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could do so, Clivert spoke up: "Master Redos, don't you think that's a bit harsh? He's just a young boy." "Clivert, I didn't think you were such a soft man." Redos shook his head, acting disappointed. "And to think I was almost beginning to trust you." He returned his attention to Rhys. "No matter. Well boy, now that you have had time to think: what is your answer?" "I'll do it," Rhys replied, his voice full of determination. "I'll become strong. Stronger than every last one of you!" _And then I WILL take my revenge, just you wait!_

Redos chuckled evilly. "Are you now, boy? Ha ha ha! Good. Yes, very good indeed." Redos nodded approvingly. "If I may request something, Master?" Clivert spoke once again. The Guild Master eyed him, looking annoyed and sighed: "Very well, Clivert. What is it you want?" "Permission to train the boy, Master." "Train the boy you say? But you can barely use any magic yourself." "That's true, but I do know a lot about the subject." "Do you now? Fine, do as you please, but keep in mind that you only have four months." "That won't be a problem."

Master Redos waved with his hand as to say that he was done talking about the subject. He called on yet another guild member present in the hall. "Frind, take the boy and this box. You know what you have to do." The man nodded in agreement and began to walk towards the Master. Rhys had know idea what he meant by that and asked, somewhat fearfully: "What are you going to do to me?" "Rejoice, boy, for I will grant you a very generous gift. Yes, very generous indeed. Through the power of the gem I have just shown you, I will grant you Dragon Slayer Magic."

* * *

What came next, was in one word hellish. Rhys was taken by the man named Frind to a room close to the great hall. The room was decorated with all kinds of medical equipment Rhys had never seen before. _The Master didn't say how this is going to work... And what's more: what are those machines?_ He turned around to ask the sort-of-doctor about this, but before he could do so, the doctor gave him an injection which caused him to go numb. Rhys began to panic because the sensation was close to what he had experienced when he was stabbed by Jador. _I'm not unconscious, but I can't move my body! What is that bastard going to do to me!?_

Seeing that the injection had done its job, Frind dragged Rhys towards a table engraved with magical runes and began to preform the surgery. The term 'surgery', however, was a bit of an exaggeration. 'Magic Ritual' was closer to what Frind was doing. Upon his touch, the runes in the table lit up in a red light. Slowly, but surely they began to loosen from the table and began to make their way up to Rhys's body. When they touched his skin, Rhys began to scream out in agony from the pain that came with it, yet no sounds came out of his mouth. _It burns! Stop! Take it off me!_

His mouth formed a sadistic grin, when Frind noticed the pain Rhys was in. "What's the matter, Mr. 'I'll-become-stronger-than-every-last-one-of-you'? Can't handle a little pain? Then I have some bad news for you, brat. This is only the beginning!" He laughed out loud, grabbed the box containing the gem and opened it. "This little fellow here, will be a LOT more painful!" He took the gem out of the box and brought it close to Rhys. The red runes now adoring his body became even redder at the proximity the gem was in. They formed a circle in the middle of his torso and began to emit a ray of light surrounding the gem. Frind quickly let go of the gem, afraid of the blinding light. Rhys screamed and screamed wordlessly, but then the pain became too much to bear and he lost consciousness, drifting off into the black.

* * *

When he awoke, Rhys found himself once more in an unfamiliar room. He looked around, to see if there was anyone in there besides him. No one. He could see that the room wasn't a cell, like his previous one had been. Nevertheless, the only way out was a large wooden door at the other side of the room and Rhys didn't have to check to know that it was locked. Suddenly, he recalled the ritual and he pushed off the blanket he had been laying under. Rhys examined his body for any traces from the event. Nothing. There weren't any runes anywhere on his body, or gems for that matter. _Was it all just a dream then?_ Rhys shook his head. _No. It couldn't have, the pain was too real for it to be a dream._

He slipped out of bed to see if he could properly stand again. He was a bid wobbly on his feet and his head felt light. Rhys could, however, feel his newly acquired power coursing through his body like a raging fire. He clenched his hands into fists. _Strange.._ He thought. _It feels as if I'm also physically stronger now._

Rhys was just about to put this theory to the test by punching one of the walls, when a man came in. It was Master Redos. "Well, well, boy. It looks like you didn't die after all." _Die? What is he talking about?_ "When you didn't wake in days, I was sure that my precious investment had gone to waste." Pentos shook his head, seemingly sad. "And what a shame that would have been. No matter. Seeing that you are awake now, I do not need to worry about it any longer." Rhys stomach suddenly began to release a growling sound. "Mmm, you seem to have quite the appetite there, boy. Very well." He turned his attention to someone standing outside the room. "Frind, see to it that the boy is well fed. Examine him after and bring him to Clivert to begin his training. Report back to me immediately after." "Yes, Master. I'll take care of it." Pentos directed his gaze back to Rhys. "And you, boy. You best not disappoint me, or else I just might reconsider my generosity. And let me tell you: that will not be pretty." With that, the Guild Master turned around and left the room.

* * *

After he had eaten, Rhys followed Frind back to the surgery room. There, Frind ordered him to lay down on the table, which Rhys obeyed. "It seems that your body has accepted the gem. Lucky for you.." "How do you mean, lucky?" The man's eyes displayed an evil glint. "Has no one told you? If your body couldn't handle the power of the gem and rejected it, you would have died." _I could have died!?_ Rhys was shocked, but he didn't show it to the man. Instead, he asked: "How long have I been unconscious?" "About two weeks or so, I guess." This time, Rhys couldn't control his emotions. "TWO WHOLE WEEKS!?" "Yes, you heard me. Now stop yelling, brat!" Rhys shut his mouth, somewhat embarrassed that he shouted out like that.

The doctor then looked at Rhys's back. "Well, what have we here?" All across Rhys's upper back, the runes were still visible. They weren't as bright red as they had been during the ritual, but they were still very much present. "This wasn't supposed to happen.." Frind said, scratching his chin. "What wasn't? Is something wrong?" Rhys asked, clueless about what the sort-of-doctor was talking about. Frind ignored him and began to take various books out of the bookshelf in the room. Reading through them, he mumbled: "They were supposed to disappear... What could have caused this... Great Magical Power... No, that's not possible..." As if he had come to a conclusion, the doctor closed the book he had been reading from, and spoke: "The runes haven't completely disappeared on your back, but I'm sure it's nothing." He gestured for Rhys to follow him, and walked out the door. "Come. I'll take you to Clivert."

Once again, they walked through endless hallways and again, Rhys had no clue as to were they were going. They took a turn right and suddenly stood in a room even bigger than the hall were the Master had been. "This is it, brat. Your home for the next few months." Frind chuckled and pushed him inside, causing Rhys to fall on his knees. "Have a nice stay," he said sarcastically and shut the door behind him.

For a moment, the room was completely silent and Rhys wondered whether he was alone in the room. Then, a figure appeared from the other side of the room. Rhys recognized him as Clivert. The man began to walk towards Rhys, not saying a word. Due to the resent events in his life, Rhys had come to understand that when someone is walking towards you in this manner, it meant bad news. Therefore, Rhys began to slowly walk backwards, away from the man. Clivert, however, just kept walking forward. Rhys quickened his pace, feeling threatened. He hit the wall and was unable to go any further. Rhys knew that he had no were to go and closed his eyes, waiting for the beating that would undoubtedly come.

Instead, Rhys was shocked when the man nearly placed a hand on his head. "You poor boy. You must have gone through so much," Clivert said with much pity in his voice. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you. I really am." Rhys couldn't believe what he was hearing. _He wanted to help me? He's sorry? … No Rhys, you shouldn't believe his lies!_ He opened his eyes and pushed Clivert away. "You're lying! You are one of them! You're not sorry! You're just as bad as they are! YOU'RE A MURDERER!" He was angry. No, screw that, he was furious. "DON'T ACT LIKE YOU CARE!"

Out of the blue, he felt two strong arms embracing him. Rhys was dumbstruck and didn't know how to respond, so he just stood there. Then, he couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears began to stream down his face and he began to cry uncontrollably. A voice somewhere in his head screamed for him to stop, that this was the enemy. But Rhys couldn't stop. He cried and cried, while Clivert just stood there, holding him and stroking his hair.

"I'm here for you, kid," the orange-haired man promised. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you. And I will get you out of here. I promise you, or my name isn't Guildarts Clive."

* * *

 **Sooooo... A little plot-twist! As I was writing it, I wasn't so sure about this chapter, so please let me know what you thought about it.**

 **Also, like I said before: English isn't my first language, so If you see any mistaces at all: please tell me, so I can fix them!**

 **That was all! I'll try to post a new chapter as soon as possible, but I can't guarantee anything. (But reviews keep me motivated... ;))**

 **~s.w.w**


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